Range Fire
by Lost and Never Found
Summary: Transformed into a beast, a taiyoukai daimyo is sent to another time and place to guard a young human girl as part of his punishment for insulting a river goddess. SessOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! New IY story! WOOOOOOOOT! I've been so ready to start this, it isn't even funny. For those of you hoping that this has something to do with Tomoyo from Under the New Moon and Beneath a Twilight Star...sorry to disappoint. This is an entirely new girl, in an entirely new situation. Also, I wrote this one in third-person rather than first, considering this time around we need to be able to hear Sesshoumaru's thoughts.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. If I did, the anime wouldn't end where it did!**

He felt heavy. He couldn't think clearly. It vaguly reminded him of his youth, back when he first tried sake, and the morning after. Because of this, he kept his eyes closed; his hearing alone was making his headache worse. The sounds around him were familiar, but strange. He heard the wind passing through the trees, though it didn't sound as loud as it should. The birds were in the trees, but he couldn't figure out what birds they were. Nearby was the sound of rushing water...

The sound of the river is what made him remember. His retainers, his ward, and he had stayed beside a river. When he didn't make an offering to the river's guardian, she appeared to give Sesshoumaru a tirade. In response, he had simply destroyed her with his poison whip.

"Ouch... What did you do? Haname must have been really upset with you..." the familiar voice of the river's guardian came to him.

Snapping his eyes open, he started to growl, but it stopped deep in his throat. This was not the same guardian. That one had been blue-skinned, with silver in her dark blue hair and dressed in a kimono befitting a hime. While this one had the same dark blue hair, it had a green tint to it, matching her skin. There was gold touches in her hair, and rather than a kimono, she was dressed in an indecent dress that showed her collarbone neck, with long billowing sleeves and matching skirt that stopped just short of her knees. Other than these slight differences, she was identical.

"Hello there!" she said cheerfully. "My name's Hitomi. This is my river."

"If you seek an offering, I refuse." he tried to say. All that came out was a deep throated snarl. Stunned, he thought, _What is the matter with my voice?_

"That would be Haname's doing, hun." the guardian said sympathetically. She floated down to where she was sitting just beside his head. "Haname is my twin sister. She lives in the Feudal Era of Japan, or Nippon as I suppose you call it. I chose to live in what is known as the Modern Era, on the opposite side of the world, in a place called Texas."

Such talk of time... The ability to read thoughts... Dread, for the first time since he was a pup, filled him as he thought, _These two river guardians are twin goddesses._

"That's right." Hitomi said with a sigh. "So what exactly did you do to Haname?" Briefly, he let his memory of last night flash through his head. She gasped and said, "Oh you poor thing! No wonder she sent you to me in such a shape!"

Shape? He had a headache, for sure, but otherwise... He tried to stand, only to find that his build had changed. He looked down to find that he had paws... So he was in true shape; stunning, since he hadn't been able to take this form since his arm was gone, though the goddess Haname seemed to have replaced it, but not too surprising. But the goddess Hitomi, if she was the same size as her sister, was a head shorter than his humanoid form, yet his head was only even with her waist; he should be making a dwarf of her. With growing horror and outrage, he realized what this meant.

_This Sesshoumaru has been changed into a common dog!_

**Wow, I am so evil... That's it for the prologue!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Woohoo, new chapter! Much love to you all for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I quite literally own Tip (my doggie, though she's a year older in real life) and Bear (my mom's dog, and the real and fictional are close in age), but the idea of the rest of the pack, Sam, the twin goddesses, and the whole Crooked R ranch are mine! However, I don't own Sesshou, sadly.**

A snarl tore itself from his throat as he thought, _Explain this, goddess!_

Hitomi smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid you really angered Haname. We have a deal, her and I. When ever someone really annoys us, we send them to the other for the punishment. But if they do something really stupid, we get to decide half of it too. You tried to kill Haname, so she turned you into a dog before she sent you to me. Now I have to figure the other half of this punishment out, as well as where and with who you'll stay as it is carried out. There are too many dangers in this world, even for you."

Angry at the twins' daring, he resigned himself to this. He had a sneaky feeling that even if he asked Hitomi, she wouldn't undo his punishment and risk her sister's wrath, and he wasn't physically able to force her to do anything anymore. She took a few minutes to decide what to do with him. Finally she snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "I've got it!" she beamed at him, obviously estatic. "I'll send you to the Crooked R pack! I know their pack leader, Sam, and the alpha dog, Shep, very well. They don't live to far from here, and Shep said they would be in the area for a while on a cattle drive. Stay right here, and I'll go tell him to come here when he has a free minute." With a fluttering of light, Hitomi vanished from his sight.

Sesshoumaru took in more of his surroundings in her absence. He guessed it to be mid to late autumn, just before noon. He caught the scents of cattles and horses from the south, and the occasional scent of rabbit, squirrel, a badger, and a pack of some kind of canine he wasn't familiar with. Frowning, he tried to disect the scent. It smelled a bit like a wolf, just rangy. Whatever it was, it obviously didn't care how fresh its last meal was.

Before he could ponder it further, the goddess returned, a smile spread across her face. "Shep and the rest of the pack weren't far off. The cowhands are stopping for lunch, so they have a free moment right now. They'll be here soon."

_Cowhand?_ Sesshoumaru questioned. Before Hitomi could answer, he caught the sound of running paws and the scent of dogs.

A small pack approached in V-formation. In the lead was a big male dog, his fur a little on the long side for the hot weather and a strange mix of black and white fur that in some areas looked almost blue and the places where there was black fur alone looked like spots. The black was heavier closer to his tail, the white on his chest, stomach, and paws. His head was mixed white in the front and snout, though his ears were of the black mix. His eyes were a bright amber color, not that different from Sesshoumaru's.

Beside him trotted a female who was little more than a pup, her coat the same motley pattern though unique to herself, but brown rather than black. Her eyes were also the same amber as his. Four other members of the pack, one motley black female, two brown males, and another black male, appeared to be the same breed. Only one, who was also the biggest, was another breed entirely. His black fur was short and slick, obviously meant to help him in the water. His eyes were a deep brown that was almost black. Unlike the others, who had long, plummed tails and pointed ears like Sesshoumaru's new shape, his tail was straight and smooth, his ears floppy.

"You are the dog Hitomi was speaking off?" The lead dog asked in the animal tongue, a speech that Hitomi wasn't allowed to speak in as a river goddess. Sesshoumaru remembered such from his lessons, so he hadn't tried the language on her.

"Yes. I am Sesshou-."

"His name is Maru." When Sesshoumaru snarled at the interuption, Hitomi said, "That name is short and simple, a requirement in a cowdog. Get used to it."

The little brown female ran forward eagerly, ignoring the warning growls from the lead dog and Sesshomaru, and took a good sniff of Sesshoumaru. "Wow, your scent is strange! Where are you from? What kind of dog are you? Is all your pack the same color as you? Are you all the same breed? Are you the lead dog? Who's your pack lead-."

"Tip!" the lead dog barked. She immediately crouched down, ears laid back apologetically. Only when she softly whined did the lead dog nudge her in forgiveness. He said to Sesshoumaru, "You must forgive her. She is still young."

"She should have been drowned..." the sole other female grumbled.

The lead dog whirled with a snarl and was on the female before Sesshoumaru was aware of his intent. They wrestled for only a moment, then the black female was pinned. "Tip is pack." he growled, reinforcing his command with a hard nip. "Sam saw fit to let her run with us, and so she shall. Do you doubt your pack leader, Claire?"

"No! No, of course not!" the female whined. "Please, Shep!"

He kept her pinned for a moment longer, then finally let her stand. One of the brown males licked her cheek, and she returned the gesture. Once Shep was sure of his authority, he addressed Sesshoumaru, "I apologize."

"You are a strong Alpha." Sesshoumaru said simply, the incidents already forgotten.

"I am Shep. The pup is Tip, the other female Claire. Beside Claire is Commo." The brown male nodded in greeting. "And the twins are Lef and Gef."

"Though good luck figuring out which is which." Tip piped up. Shep glared at her warningly, while the rest of the pack chuckled.

"I am Bear." the large dog added, coming forward and wagging his tail. "I technically don't run with the pack, which is why Shep didn't include me."

"Bear guards the cowhand's bunkhouse and, in the winter, the stable." Tip inserted helpfully. "He's with us today cause he was bored this summer, and this is the last trip till winter." Shep nipped Tip sharply this time, and, with a whine, she laid down completely, obviously dejected.

Sesshoumaru nodded at Bear, then looked at the downtrodden pup. "I am from Nippon, a region wetter than here, by the sea. I am unaware as to what breed of dog I am, and my pack is very small. I have only a half-brother, who has his own pack. My own pack is my retainer and my human ward. I am the head of my pack, of course." he answered her questions from earlier. For all her rudeness, Tip was obviously very bright, and curiousity in just a clever pup shouldn't be discouraged.

She lifted her head, ears now perked forward, and her tail stirred up the dust as she wagged it. Shep sighed and nuzzled the top of her head. Curious now, Sesshoumaru asked, "Are you two mates?"

"No, half-siblings. Our mother is the same. All of the pack share the same mother." Shep said. "Tip is the pick of last year's litter. Next year, another pup will be the one I have to pick on so they learn manners."

Bear stretched and yawned. "I was a gift, so I don't have to mess with that whole pup nonsense."

Sesshoumaru nodded, then looked to Hitomi. She was playing with something in her fingers. Looking up, she smiled and said, "All done getting acquainted? Good. Shep, take Maru here to Sam. My lord, your task for the next year is simple: keep Sam safe. Danger is coming for Sam, and I don't think the pack alone can handle it. Clear?" When the great white dog nodded, she reached around his neck. Only then did he realize she had been fiddling with a black collar made of some strange material, a couple of silver tags dangling from the front. He made to snap at her, but she had already disappeared. Her voice drifted over the group, "I'll send for him when the time comes for him to leave!"

Growling in annoyance, he started to scratch at the offending item with his hind leg, but it wouldn't come off.

"Don't bother." Tip's glum voice caught his attention. He quickly lowered his foot, annoyed that he had been caught doing something so undignified. It took him a moment to notice how frustrated she looked. "They won't come off, no matter how much you yank." Only then did he notice the collars around all of the pack's throat. The males were red collars identical to his, the female Claire blue. Burned into them were English characters it took him a moment to recognize: The Crooked R Ranch. Dangling from their collars were only one tag each, compared to the two on his. Tip, however, had an actual harness on, though it was blue and marked just like Claire's.

"If you would just give into the leash, you could trade in for a collar." Shep told the pup patiently. Tip just sniffed. "Come, let's get Maru back to the cowhands. Sam will be whistling soon."

As if on cue, a long, sharp whistle was heard, followed by four short and another long. The pack turned as a unit and reformed the v-shape, Bear slightly seperated form them. Unsure only for a moment, Sesshoumaru took to running beside the black dog that was closer to his own size than the others.

"You'll like Sam." the fun-loving guard dog said as the dogs settled into a loping gait unfamiliar to Sesshoumaru. It took him a few moments to match it.

_Like him or not, I have to protect him._ Sesshoumaru grumbled mentally, but said nothing.

**For reference:**

**Bear- Black Labador Retriever**

**Claire, Shep, Lef, and Gef- Half Austrailian Shepherd, Half Blue Heeler**

**Tip and Commo- Half Austrailian Shepherd, Half Red Heeler**

**Sesshoumaru- Unknown breed, really big with pointed ears, plummed tail, and shaggy, white fur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Much love, ya'll, much love. I appreciate any kind of reviews, any at all.**

**Disclaimer: Come on, you know I don't own Inu Yasha!**

Sesshoumaru was bewildered by this landscape. The dense grove of trees quickly disappeared once they left the river's banks, revealing a long, swooping plain of high grasses, brown from the coming cold. He stuck close to Bear, as the big black dog wove expertly among the trail paths, not wanting to go get lost in such vastness.

The longer they ran, the shorter the grass became until it was finally normal length, much to Sesshoumaru's hidden relief. They had to hunker down beneath a strange wire fence, then they set off running again, though their goal was in site: a wagon with the remains of a fire at its feet. A cattle herd, at least three hundred head if not more, were wandering only a few yards away. A small herd of horses, with nothing more than halters, stood nearby another group that were fully tacked in some of the strangest gear he had ever seen, their riders already mounted.

Except one. A handsome, blood bay gelding stood ahead of the group, his rider not even bothering to hang on to the split reins as he knelt in the dirt, obviously waiting for the dogs. Dressed in unfamiliar, tight fitting pants, a thick, padded black jacket, and an odd hat, he appeared perfectly at ease in his surroundings. As the pack came closer, Sesshoumaru watched all the dogs form a circle around him, except Tip and Bear who crowded close, obviously seeking attention.

With a high, alto-toned laugh, he rubbed the two behind the ears with a gloved hand. "Hello to you too." he said, his voice strangely feminine. "Did you have a nice run?"

Stiffly, Sesshoumaru walked forward. He was stunned into being still when a pair of jade green eyes looked at him, the thick, sooty lashes long and curled against warm, honey brown skin. The face they set in was oval, with a long nose and a full mouth, the pinky lips chapped from the cold. Only when he got this close did Sesshoumaru realize that this was a female, not the boy he was expecting. He immediately pulled back, ears laid flat as he realized exactly how he had been tricked. Now he was stuck watching over a helpless female!

Unawares, she kept her voice gentle as she asked, "Well, who do we have here?" Digging in her pocket, she pulled out a piece of dried, spiced meat and offered it to him. "Come here, fella. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She shifted her hand a little closer, and said when he didn't come closer, "Come on."

When he still didn't move, Tip said curiously, "Aren't you going to take it? If not, I will! Sam hardly ever gives us jerky!"

Disgruntled at being misled, Sesshoumaru hesitated a bit longer before reaching forward to snap the piece of dried meat from the girl's gloved hand. He was stunned when, as soon as the meat was firmly in his jaws and keeping his teeth stuck together, she grabbed him and yanked him close to her body. Trying to wiggle free, he let out a muffled growl in outrage when she raised his hind leg, obviously trying to see his gender. Then she reached around his neck and pulled the metal tag hanging there close so she could read it. "Maru, huh? Doesn't list an owner, or an address..." she mused as she let him go. Snapping his jaws, he tried to get his teeth to unstick, though it took some work, all the while growling deep in his throat.

Sighing, she stood up. "Well, I guess you can run with the pack till we get back to the house. Then I can drive you up to Doc Warner's place, see if anyone called you in." Nonchalantly, she swung herself up in the saddle, though she didn't move yet. A man from the other group was riding forward, and they began to talk.

"Maru." Shep caught Sesshoumaru's attention, though his anger still burned strong. "Meet Amberfire. He's the head of the horse herd." The motley black dog indicated the gelding. "He's also Sam's range mount. You'll be dealing with him plenty."

Nodding his head at the gelding, he let the horse lean forward and sniff him. "Your scent is odd..." he finally whickered, his voice a smooth, controlled bass. It reminded Sesshoumaru of what Sam's voice would sound like if she were a male, though that stirred his anger up again at being deceived. "The mare that man is riding is Red Feather, my head mare. If you can't find me, seek her out if you have a problem."

"Who's her rider?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching the man curiously. Sam seemed close to him, and he needed to know who her contacts were.

"The humans call him Cricket, so we do too. He is usually on Red Feather, or her sister Hawkeye, over with the other spares." Amberfire told him.

"Who does Sam ride if not you?"

Tossing his head proudly, Amberfire said, "I am never tired. She is always on me."

"Not always." Red Feather chided him gently, her voice even and mellow. "She rides Citrine Heart in the rodeos."

"Just for the barrel racing." Amberfire argued.

The sorrel mare briefly tossed her head, the equivalent of a horse rolling her eyes, then explained to Sesshoumaru, "Citrine Heart is his sister, a golden bay mare. She's back at the barn. Sam only rides her around the house or in an arena, mostly cause she can be a little flighty."

Sesshoumaru took in this information silently, then resisted the urge to cringe as Sam let out another series of piercing whistles. Immediately, Shep, Commo, Claire, and a bumbling Tip took to the cattle herd, barking and driving the cattle from behind. The other hands, besides Cricket and Sam, rode along side the herd, keeping an eye on them even as they moved at a gentle walk. Bear strode along side Red Feather as the mare took to one side of the remaining herd of horses, Sam and Amberfire not far behind. Sesshoumaru reluctantly began trotting beside the big gelding as the two cowhands drove the horse herd just behind the cattle. His ears flicked back as he heard the clatter of the cook's wagon start to follow them, the two creatures pulling it unlike anything he had ever seen.

"I thought... Sam was the... pack leader." Sesshoumaru said to Amberfire, his speech staccato because of the gait he was forced to undertake. It didn't tire him, but it was awkward for speaking. Even as he mentioned them, he heard a cowhand up ahead whistle another set of notes. Immediately, the cattle herd started curving to the right.

"She is." Amberfire had settled into an easy, smooth lope. As a resulted, he could speak evenly and clearly. "However, she is also considered the herd master, since I am the head of the herd."

"How many... are there... in your herd, ...and on the ranch?"

"We've got five hundred plus head of cattle, though that will be going down with the sale here in the next few weeks. There are twelve cowhands, not counting the main family, and each has two mounts. The main family is Sam and Clem, her grandfather, and they own six horses, including me and Citrine Heart. Then there's the kitchen mules, who you hear pulling the wagon."

"Mules?"

"Half horse, half donkey." Here, Amberfire snorted and tossed his head. "Annoying nuisances, who don't know there place. The cattle are smarter than them."

Unexpectedly, Sam reached down and patted her mount with her hand. "Easy, Amb, easy." she cooed soothingly. "I know, you don't like the wagon behind you. It's only for a few more hours."

Stunned at the girl's keen observation into what was upsetting the gelding, Sesshoumaru looked at Amberfire in disbelief. The gelding was obviously used to the girl's intuitive reasoning, because he didn't notice his glance. Filing this away for further reference, he followed them for the rest of the afternoon, till the sun hovered, barely still on the horizon. They traveled for several miles, till they spotted a clutch of buildings up ahead.

The layout of the ranch was simple: A dirt road connected the main house, the bunk house, the barns, the stock pens, and the arena to the highway, running right in the middle of the two front pastures. There were three back pastures as well, where the stock was allowed to ramble in except during the winter, then all the stock was moved to the front pastures for easier access. Currently, all the stock was going through the pens as they checked to make sure that these were all Crooked R cattle, rather than the nearby Rocking K's. The other ranch did the same, so they could trade missing stock.

Sam, however, wasn't included in these activities. Rather, she had the job of putting the cowhands' spare mounts in their specified barn, then putting her own mount away. The other cowboys called at her, and she would laugh and respond. Bear had already gone back to the bunkhouse, where he was fed and where his bed was. Sesshoumaru stayed beside Amberfire, the other horses acting nervous around him as Sam led them to their stalls and gave them their night's feed. Only when they were all seen to did she lead Amberfire to a smaller barn, where she untacked him and brushed him down, easing him into his stall. Sesshoumaru spotted the form of a younger, drowsy golden bay mare in the next stall over, though he didn't investigate. The other horses in here were blue roans and black paints. Only one other horse was a bay: an old blood bay mare in the back stall. Two empty stalls remained for the cook's mules.

Wiping sweat away from her forehead, Sam tilted her head as she observed the stray dog her pack had found. As she thought, she took off her hat for a moment so she could straighten some of the loose strands of deep, chocolate brown curly hair. He hadn't been loose long, if his coat was any indication. It looked like he had just been taken to the groomers. Because of the coat's length and bulk, she couldn't tell whether he was underfed or not, but judging from his behavior, she'd say he was some sort of breeding stock that was kept separated from other dogs. He wasn't social with the pack, even as they worked with the cattle in the pens. Leaning her shoulder on the partition between Citrine Heart's and Amberfire's stall, she tried to puzzle him out. A normal dog would be wandering around, catching the scent of the place. Maru, in a fit of strangeness, just sat completely still, watching her instead.

"You are one strange mutt..." she muttered, not picking up the slight growl Sesshoumaru gave as she insulted his bloodline.

"Hey Sam!"

Rolling her eyes, the teenage girl turned to face the cowhand running to her. "What, Cricket?"

"Boss wants to see ya." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he spoke.

"Did you tell him about Maru?" she accused, her hands forming fists as she propped them on her hips.

"Maybe..."

"Remind me to kill you later." The redheaded cowboy laughed in response. A big man, for a cowboy, he had chiseled features, though his nose looked like it had been broke at least once. Bright blue eyes looked out over freckles, constantly crinkled with laughter. She smiled back at him good-naturedly and pulled her hat back on.

Sam waved goodbye to Cricket as she headed off at a brisk jog for the main house. She wasn't surprised when the big white dog trotted after her, sensing that he was determined to stick close to the person who gave him food. Skidding to a halt in front of the house, she saw that her grandfather was waiting for her at the top of the porch steps, his posture mimicing hers from before.

"Another stray, Samantha?" he said, exasperated. "You know we can't keep him!"

Wincing at the use of her full name, Sam pleaded, "He isn't a stray, Gramp! He just got loose somewhere. He has a collar and tag. I figured I'd drive him by Doc Warner's and see if anyone filed a report with him after school tomorrow."

Clem Sawyer thought over what his granddaughter said. A tall, pale man, he had the same jade green eyes as Sam, though his hair was a chestnut brown with heavy gray streaks to her chocolate. "Alright..." he finally said. "Though if he doesn't have an owner anymore, I don't want him to stay here. He doesn't seem very cowy."

"Yes sir!" she agreed eagerly as she hurried up the stairs to hug him.

Sesshoumaru had watched this interaction curiously. He had recognized the relationship between the two quickly, though he figured that Sam's parents must have been darker than her grandfather for her to have such skin. Now, as Sam headed inside, he made to follow her only to have a snake-skin patterned boot and a leg covered in denim block his path.

"Oh no you don't, buddy. The dogs stay outside." Clem said firmly. Before Sesshoumaru could even growl in protest, the door frame with a metal mesh filling the gaps slammed shut, the thick oak door not far behind.

_No one tells this Sesshoumaru what to do._ he growled mentally, then headed around the house. True to the character of this place he had seen so far, there was a pile of hay bales piled outside of a window beside the back door. Though Sesshoumaru didn't know it, these hay bales were actually to put in the back of the trucks during bad weather to weigh them down, not for actually feeding cattle or horses. However, they made a good prop for him to climb up and examine the window.

A metal mesh covered the window, making a screen just like the door. However, there was nothing behind the screen. Sesshoumaru had stumbled upon the mudroom; it was where boots, winter coats, and other essential items were removed before the wearers fled into the house. Months ago, a substantial piece of hail had broken the glass window, and because it was the mudroom, Clem had never bothered replacing it.

It was easy work for him to press the mesh to the breaking point and brush it aside. Climbing through with a minimum amount of wiggling, he jumped down easily onto the floor and listened. He heard the scrap of wood on wood, and the sound of metal hitting ceramics. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the old man and Sam were enjoying a quiet supper. Sesshoumaru laid down beside the door, keeping his ears perked towards the door so he could hide if someone made towards the room.

Thankfully, they didn't come towards the room. As evening fully descended, Sam's muffled voice reached his ears, "I'm headin' upstairs. I have a test tomorrow in Human Anatomy, and really need to study." She shared good-nights with her grandfather and he heard the wood of the stairs inside creak under her weight. It repeated a few hours later when her grandfather followed her.

Finally feeling like it was safe to stop this dishonorable sneaking around, he pressed the door open with his nose and quietly padded inside. A soft rug on the wooden floor kept his claws from clicking as he walked. The sofa and chairs were done in worn brown leather, with Native American blankets thrown over the arm rests. As he went upstairs, he winced at the loud creaking, hoping neither of the humans would notice it.

Upstairs, the old man's snores marked his door perfectly. The other door was the only one with a light on inside. Pressing it open as well, he stared.

A desk was set up right beside the door, though she wasn't sitting at it. Instead, she was sitting on a mattress that was kept on the floor, blankets and sheets still neatly made. However, none of that was what made him stare. Rather, it was Sam herself.

Her hair was still damp from the shower she had taken when she immediately got home, and was falling into gentle ringlets down to between her shoulder blades. Her skin, now soft and clean, truly looked like honey and didn't have a single blemish. It only made her bright green eyes look even brighter, even though they were a little hazy from tiredness. And her body, dressed in a ragged though somewhat tight t-shirt and pajama pants...

Who knew that under those clothes such a body existed? Strong but not overly muscular, it had a gentle but firmness to it. Her curves were prominent, though proportional to her. Her feet and hands, however, were surprisingly delicate-looking, even as she finished writing whatever it is she was working on and closed her books. Only then did she notice him in the doorway.

"Maru!" she hissed in surprise. "What are you...?" Sighing and shaking her head, she said, "You need to go back out." Sam was surprised when the great white dog lowered his ears, looking thoroughly downtrodden. It pulled at her heartstrings. With another sigh, she whispered, "Hang on."

Sesshoumaru watched her move curiously. She flipped a strange switch on the wall, and it instantly went dark. He stayed still, not sure what this meant, even as she walked back to her bed and climbed under the covers. Once she was thoroughly settled, she sat up and patted the foot of her bed. "Well, come here then."

Making sure to walk in a stately fashion, he climbed on to the edge of her bed and laid down. She smiled and rubbed his ears before laying down, ignoring his look of pure annoyance.

Laying his head down on his paws, Sesshoumaru watched the girl curiously. He really needed to go talk to that goddess about this assignment, now that he had met the girl...

**A few quick notes: Unless I say otherwise, every horse here is an American Quarter Horse, just because I'm familiar with that breed more than any other. And now, here's a little dictionary for those who aren't used to ranch terms:**

**The strange wire Sesshoumaru saw was barbed wire, used to keep in livestock. Hurts like no other on bare flesh (personal experience). Cheap and somewhat reliable (does need repair and occasionally replaced).**

**Halter****- pieces of nylon or leather that wrap around the nose, on the cheeks, under the chin, and behind the ears, buckling just below the ear.**

**Saddle****- I'll assume you all know that a saddle is a piece of leather strapped to a horses back, varying of course. I'm just describing the basic Western saddle, since this object can be so varied. Low-to-medium mantle (the back of the saddle), a skirt (leather around the sides), a front cinch (the belt that keeps it on), a saddle horn (a.k.a. your best friend, the thing in front you keep a grip on when you first start out), and a pair of stirrups (where your feet go). Optionally, you can have a back cinch (useless, in my opinion, since it's only purpose is to hang on when you don't tighten the front cinch tight enough, which is a bad idea, anyway, though with a heavy saddle it also helps the weight settle evenly on the horse's back) and/or a breast collar (straps of leather that wrap around the chest and between the front legs to clip on to the front cinch. Keeps the saddle from slipping back during long rides, and is your best friend, besides the saddle horn). You either put a saddle pad (much love!), a saddle pad and a blanket (only in winter, or it'll be too warm on your horse), or two blankets (not as good as a pad, but it does the job in a hurry) underneath it.**

**Bridle****- Much like the halter, this leather piece goes over the cheeks and behind the ears. Optionally, there are straps that can go in front of the ears across the forehead, over the nose, and/or under the chin. They hold the bit or the hackamore. A bit is a piece of metal or plastic anywhere from half an inch to three inches thick that's slid into the back of horse's mouth, where they don't have teeth (frankly, the only thing a bit does better than a hackamore is when a beginner or a moron yanks hard on the reins, it ruins the horse's mouth and makes eating difficult for them). A hackamore takes the place of the nose strap, and it puts pressure on the nose to guide the horse, with metal loops that dangle down beside the mouth for the reins.**

**Reins****- Attached to either the ends of a bit or the specific loops of a hackamore, they partly guide a horse using pressure on the mouth or nose(you use your weight and knees for the rest). They are either one solid piece, two pieces where both ends are connected to both ends of the bits, or split reins**

**Split reins****- Two separate pieces of leather or nylon, rather than one whole piece, that are only attached to one side of the bit or hackamore. Typically, they're used by cowhands because the extra length can be used to slap an unwilling cow on the rump to speed them up.**

**Head of cattle****- its how you refer to a herd. If you have 100 cows, you have 100 head of cattle.**

**Gelding****- Male horse that's been sterilized, whether chemically or surgically.**

**Mare****- Female horse.**

**Blood bay****- a color of horse, black mane and tail, black legs that fade into the main coat, black nose, brown main coat with a red tint.**

**Golden bay****- a color of horse, black mane and tail, black legs that fade into the main coat, black nose, brown main coat with a gold tint.**

**Sorrel****- a color of horse, reddish coat all over, blonde mane and tail.**

**Blue Roan****- a color of horse, black mane and tail, black legs that fade into the main coat, black nose, black and white mix main coat that looks blue.**

**Paints****- a color of horse, they look like someone took a white horse and threw big splats of brown or black paint on them.**

**R&R everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I live! I live!**

**I know, it's been a while. I disappeared because of two reasons: 1) I got a new laptop, so I've been adjusting to Vista, and 2) I've been busy graduating, finding financial aid, and enrolling in college. Yeah. I've been busy. However, I do have a fab new chapter for you all. You mostly get a bit of history here. All the action is next chapter, which I'll start tinkering with soon.**

**Disclaimer: I love Sesshou, but I don't own him. Just Sam and the rest of the ranch.**

Flicking his ears backwards and forwards as he woke up, Sesshoumaru took in the noises around him, trying to find what woke him. Beside him, he heard the gentle breaths of the sleeping teenage girl. They had moved slightly in their sleep, to where Sam was lying right beside him, her arm wrapped his body and her hands tangling in his fur, his head resting on her other arm. This close to her, he couldn't escape the natural, sweet yet spicy scent that clung to her. Outside, he only caught the sound of the wind blasting through the grass and the occasional bird chirp; nothing was stirring yet.

The floor boards behind him creaked again.

Whipping his head up, Sesshoumaru tensed as he caught sight of familiar snakeskin patterned boots. He looked up to meet Clem's cold, yet still furious gaze. The old man made a motion with his hand, an obvious message to go over there. Sesshoumaru stood up, crouching carefully, and let out a low growl of warning. He didn't obey humans, and the girl was his to protect, at least till he gave that stupid river goddess a piece of his mind. The old man scowled, then hissed furiously, "Come here, mutt."

Sesshoumaru growled even louder. _Call me a "mutt" again, and I will come over there, though you will not like the consequences—I will come over and rip out your throat, and I will do so with great pleasure._

Their little argument had an unexpected consequence. A soft mumble came from the young girl's throat, and both males froze. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up slowly, her hair falling in a curly tumble in her face. She pushed it back while rubbing one of her eyes as she woke. Muddled jade eyes met her grandfather's wide awake ones and she froze. "Gramp," she started.

"Take him out, Sam," he said firmly, "Then you and I are having one long talk."

"You mean again?" the young girl said sarcastically, leaning her arms on her knees as she glared at him.

The old man glared right back. "None of that, Sam. Now!"

Shrugging, she stood up and approached her grandfather. The two glowered at each other, with Sesshoumaru watching from the sidelines. _Alpha male, meet the alpha female,_ he couldn't help but think in amusement as he sat down to wait. He had a feeling this wasn't their first confrontation, and most likely not their last. He also had a feeling that she won most of them.

However, not this one.

She suddenly deflated and said sullenly, "Are you going to get out of my way or not?" The old man stood aside, and Sam patted her upper leg. "Come on, Maru," she said softly. "Time to go out."

Standing up, he nudged her hand to show that she was still an alpha in his eyes, just one that was outgunned by the alpha male. She smiled and rubbed his ears again; this time, he tolerated it. A sad smile appeared on Sam's face, as if she knew what he was saying silently, and began to walk, him right behind her. Sesshoumaru watched her as she opened the screen door of the mudroom for him, tilting his head to the side. "The other dogs will be behind or in front of the stable, depending on which way the wind is blowing," she told him soothingly. Snorting at her attempt to comfort him, he trotted out. It didn't take long for him to hear raised voices inside.

True to Sam's word, the pack of dogs was behind the stable, the tall structure blocking the prairie winds and the chill they brought with them. It was a tumbled up pile of brown speckled and black speckled fur, all tails, ears, and paws. It wasn't too hard though to make out the "twins," Claire, and Commo in the middle, with Shep slightly separated from them, Tip bridging him with the group by laying right on top of Shep's back, her front paws under her head, even as her tail came dangerously close to tickling either Lef's or Gef's nose. Looking to the sky, he saw that the sun's light was barely cresting the strange horizon. Sesshoumaru sighed, but sat down once more to patiently wait.

It wasn't a long wait. "It's too early for this, Maru," Shep said, his voice a sleepy growl.

"Sam and her grandfather are fighting," Sesshoumaru told him, expecting a strong reaction. He wasn't disappointed. The alpha dog raised his head, saw the serious look on the white dog's face, and sighed before standing up, sending the little female on his back tumbling. She woke with a yelp, trying to catch herself, but only succeeding in tumbling onto her back.

As both stoic males looked on in their own kind of amusement, Tip tilted her head to the side and whined loudly, "_Shep!_ It's too early! The sun isn't even awake yet!" The other dogs woke to her whining with grumbling and growls of annoyance. Sesshoumaru knew that her whining would result in many punishments for waking everyone against their will, unless Shep stepped in.

"Sam and Clem are awake, though. Who do we obey first?" the older dog reprimanded his little sister gently. "As for the rest of you, don't be too cross with her, I would have woken you soon anyway."

"What are they going at each other about this time anyway?" Claire grumbled, standing up and stretching and sending the twins tumbling off of her, making them yelp like Tip had. The entire pack enjoyed a few yips of laughter, before they looked to Shep for answers. However, their alpha was forced to look to Sesshoumaru. He just stared back at them silently.

Shaking his head, but not willing to pick a fight with the larger male, Shep said, "Doesn't really matter. Sam will want to leave for town early today. That means morning feed will be early for all of us. Commo, Claire, go wake the horses, let them know. You know how grouchy Old Sara and Citrine get when they sleep through a chance to get treats when they first wake up. The rest of us will head over to the bowls; we'll meet up again there." The two brown speckled dogs nodded and squirmed between the two hay bales behind them. Curious, Sesshoumaru tucked his head in after them and saw that the pack had pushed the two bales apart yet still balancing the top bale, hiding a well dug hole into the barn.

"We go in there when it rains," Tip told him brightly. "We make sure none of the humans know we have it, so that we can keep the constant access. Now come on, Sam will be out soon to feed everybody, including us!" Sesshoumaru followed the small female as she practically tripped over her own feet as she ran to the front porch. There, Sesshoumaru finally noticed a set of metal bowls set up in one of the corners, three to be exact. A rubber bowl slightly larger than them held water. However, it wasn't those that captured his attention, but the dog lying beside them.

The old female was easily as large as Shep, the largest of the pack. Her fur was longer than any of the others, with more bulk to it as well. Her head was broader shaped, like Shep's, Gef's, and Lef's, but her ears were rounder and floppier than any of the others. Overall, her color was black, though her chest and muzzle were white with a border of copper toned fur. She was seemingly asleep, her head on her paws. Her tail was a bobbed off bit of fluff, different from all of the others.

Tip eagerly ran up the other female, nudging her head with her snout. "Mama! Mama, we have a visitor!"

Sesshoumaru stiffened and his ears flicked back as this new body betrayed his surprise. This was the pack's shared mother? But the similarities weren't… His mind tried to find the traits this old female had passed to Tip, but came up short. Were the different sires really that overriding in the case of these dogs? It boggled his mind. He reluctantly stepped forward, taking in her scent, frowning at the strange, cloying scent that clung to her. When she raised her head and opened her eyes, though, he saw why; she was completely blind, and obviously ill.

"Well, you must be the dog Clem has been yelling about all morning," the old female said. Her warm and mellow nature was the exact opposite of her daughters, snarky, bitter Claire and curious, over excited Tip, and her son, controlling but cold Shep; he couldn't judge on the twins and Commo yet. "You've caused a lot of trouble for our friend, Sam. I am Dera, the alpha female here…" She trailed off, then nudged her youngest pup. "Or at least, I am until this one is old enough."

"What?" Tip yelped, whirling her head to stare at her mother, as the other dogs, which had been standing or playing around froze.

Shep stepped forward and said questioningly, "Dera…? Are you sure?" Sesshoumaru stayed silent in this conversation. It was obviously a revelation concerning this pack that had been a long time coming, and he didn't need to voice his opinion. However, the old female ignored her other pups to give Tip a reassuring nuzzle.

"She is my last. I will have no more pups, not with my illness taking a turn for the worst. I heard the doctor discussing me with Clem yesterday, and none of them think I will make it past the winter," Dera said calmly. "Of all my pups, Sam only convinced Clem to keep two females, and Claire has already been treated so that she will have no more pups. As much as the cattle pay the bills and put food in front of everybody, we all know that selling my pups from the two males I have allowed to mate with me is what Sam is counting on to get away from here."

Sesshoumaru growled at this thought of selling one's young for a human. These dogs were sinking to low levels with him. Shep, however, interpreted his growls and said warningly, "Do not think less of us, Maru. Dera has never born less than five pups per litter, and only the twins are from the same litter." The former youkai realized that meant there were at least twenty-one other dogs this pack was related to by blood. "I was the first kept, simply because no one else wanted me. I was runty when I was a pup," Shep ignored Sesshoumaru's snort of disbelief, "and Sam convinced her grandfather that I would be a help to Dera, who at the time was the only dog, serving as a guard dog rather than a cattle dog.

"It wasn't long before they noticed that I would watch the cattle and react just like the horses. Sam pointed out that my sire, the blue heeler named Mazi who lives on a ranch in the next state over, was a well-known cattle dog. At the time, our little pack leader was ten or so at the time, and had only been living with her grandfather for a year; she wasn't settling here well. Her grandfather was just teaching her to ride Old Sara, who was heavy with Citrine Heart, while he tried to break in a yearling Amberfire. The old man knew he wasn't giving the girl the attention she needed. Hell, Cricket was doing a better job of being her guardian. I was a bit of a guilt gift. He said if she could teach me to race after the cattle like a real herd dog, she was welcome to pick a pup each year and train them. A year later, I won a prize at the local ranch rodeo for being the best cattle dog in my age division."

"Now, each year more and more ranchers compete for the pups I have with Mazi and our neighbor's prized ranch dog, a red heeler named Cly," Dera interrupted. Her eyes, though blind, showed more fondness for Tip, Claire, and Commo's father than the other. "Just as pups, they are worth three hundred and fifty dollars. Some chose to pay extra and have them run with our pack, training with Sam, for the first few months or for a year, and that can go as high as six hundred even."

Tip suddenly sniffed. Sesshoumaru looked to her, and she said sadly, "My brother, Rusty, was one of those. His owner had him stay here with us for six months to get the hang of things. Sam made sure to keep telling us that, every day, so we wouldn't get too attached to each other. But it still was sad when the man in the SUV came and loaded him up. That was only two month ago."

Sesshoumaru's mind tried to wrap around those figures, even as each of the dogs spoke up about their own respective litters, being around a stranger making the memories seem fresh, Claire and Commo coming to join them and adding their own two cents. Shep's litter hadn't been worth much, just about fifty dollars each, and there were only four who sold. However, the others were worth much more. The next born, Commo, had seven in his litter, counting him. Two had stayed to train with Sam, one for six months and one for a full year. The twins had the largest litter next, with nine puppies, and three of them stayed for a full year. Next came Claire's litter, with six, one staying on for six months while two others stayed for a year. Tip's litter, the most recent and the last, had only five pups, with Rusty being the only one to stay behind, and that was for six months. The total was a staggering ten thousand, one hundred twenty-five of this currency, all kept in a savings account for future use.

The girl he had been asked to guard by the river goddess had big dreams. There was a fancy school, what the dogs called "college," that taught young people about how to care for animals medically, something that in this country you had to have a license to practice. It was far away, so far away that she couldn't even physically visit the place. And it cost fifty thousand of this country's currency to attend. Thankfully, the girl worked hard at her current school work, and tested well. Her "job" on the ranch, which in reality paid nothing, was a good service activity and showed her leadership and animal handling abilities. These in turn led to her receiving help from this elite college; they were willing to pay her tuition, and help with her room and board. That left the rest of her living expenses, and even getting to the college, on her own shoulders.

"She actually applied early," Tip admitted to Sesshoumaru. "She technically shouldn't know until this year. Only now can she ask for more help; she's trying to avoid taking out a loan to pay for her learning. Her grandfather is already being nasty about her going so far away."

Before Sesshoumaru could comment, the screen door banged open, revealing Sam. She had stuffed her hair back under her standard hat, and hidden her body in a baggy, green flannel shirt and blue jeans. The black boots on her feet were the same as yesterday, though rather than the heavy thermal jacket she wore when Sesshoumaru first saw her, she had on an odd jacket. The sleeves were black leather, the sleeves, bottom, and collar hemmed with a thick cotton ban with a white strip between two red; the bulk of the jacket was black wool, lined with black satin, with multiple black, white, and red patches sewn on the back, all of them listing different championships and runner-ups, and one, white bordered in red and shaped like the English character W with three bars on the left side, on the front. White embroidery on the pockets were the English characters for Amberfire and Citrine Heart's names; when Sam turned her back to them, Sesshoumaru noticed her name was on the back, just below the collar. In her hands, which the former Japanese lord noted with distaste were gloveless despite the nippy morning air, was another bowl, filled with some kind of mush.

"Hey, everyone," she greeted the dogs cheerfully. She set the bowl down in front of Dera, saying soothingly, "Here you go, old lady. Doc Warner said that you needed a more nutrient packed meal, and it needed to be soft rather than hard. I mixed some of this morning's gravy in, along with your medicine. It should help it be more edible, though I make no promises." Dera licked the girl's hand in response, even as the teenager scratched the girl behind the Australian Shepherd behind the ears comfortingly. The other dogs crowded around as she reached inside the screen door and dragged out a container made out of a common material Sesshoumaru had noticed all over the place. Sam popped off the lid, then pulled out a metal can, the characters on it reading "Folgers," that she had filled with some strange, round bits.

Tails began to wag as she picked up the first metal bowl. "Don't mob me," she warned them. "There's three of these, don't forget." Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at her talking to a bunch of animals, as if they would really not head straight for the food. He was amazed, after she dumped the first can and dug out more to fill the can and added it before setting it down, that all the dogs stayed still. A few, namely Tip and the twins, fidgeted, but the rest waited till she had completed the other bowls. Once all had the same amounts in them and Sam stepped back, all six dogs leaped forward, Sesshoumaru hesitantly following. He took one sniff of the round, brown dry food and wrinkled his nose, backing away with a snort of disgust. No way was he eating this.

Instead, he padded over to the container, raising up on his hind legs and balancing his front legs on the edge. Inside were several aluminum cans, what he suspected Dera's food came from, as well as a large bag, labeled "Old Roy," that he could smell held what the other dogs were eating. He growled in disgust; there was nothing here fit for him to eat.

"Picky eater?" he heard the girl say in an amused tone. Sesshoumaru turned to glower at her, but she seemed unphased. "I should have guessed, you being some special breed. Well, if you won't eat that, you'll have to wait till we go see Doc. Oh, crap!" The girl's sudden exclamation startled all the dogs and she darted in the house. "Gramp!" they heard her call, "Where's Doc Warner's number? And Alicia's? I'm going to see if she'll babysit Maru while I'm at school!"

Grumbling under his breath, Sesshoumaru stretched out on the porch, away from the other dogs. _This Sesshoumaru does not need a babysitter…_ he thought in disgust.


	5. Chapter 5

**I love you all. I would love you more if you would throw a few more reviews my way...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, I just worship the ground the owner walks on.**

Just as Sesshoumaru about fell back asleep, he caught a scent he learned yesterday. Raising his head, his ears perked forward as he tried to figure out what the large black dog named Bear was heading this way. Sure enough, he was trotting over to the front porch from the direction of the hands' cabins, tail wagging as his cheerful personality demanded. However, that personality was at odds with his actions. Tip and Claire had made peace long enough to share a bowl, but they were forced away by black lab trotting over and snapping at them, driving them away from their food so he could eat it instead. The males in the group snarled, but were too intimidated by the larger dog's size to fight him away. Instead, they made room for the females, one at each of the other bowls, so that they could finish eating. Snarling himself at this dishonorable action, Sesshoumaru attracted the attention of the other dogs except Bear. He stood up and growled again in warning. Still, the black dog ignored the white.

He instantly regretted that decision.

With no warning, the white dog that was formerly a Japanese warlord crashed into the smooth-haired black dog, all fangs and fury. They rolled completely off the side of the porch. The two females took the chance to reclaim their bowl, even as Sesshoumaru continued to snarl at the other dog in warning. Bear was the very image of an innocent victim, with his ears perked and his tail raised high. Sesshoumaru didn't buy it for a minute. His snarls and growls only grew louder.

"Bear! Maru!" Sam's sharp tone came from the porch. Instantly, Bear cowered down and whimpered, knowing he was in trouble. Stunned both by Sam's sharp tone and the other dog's instant backing down, Sesshoumaru stopped growling, but stayed guarded. The teenage girl walked down the stairs and grabbed Bear's collar. "Come with me, you," she growled, true enough that she even impressed Sesshoumaru. He sat down and watched as she practically dragged the large black lab back to the cabins he came from, hearing her mutter as she left, "I know you get overfed as it is, you don't need to be stealing other dogs' food, you moron…"

Sesshoumaru was impressed with how Sam dealt with the problem. She obviously had caught Bear doing this before, and the black dog had been relying on Sesshoumaru's new presence to leave her distracted enough for him to sneak an extra meal. Before he could think further, he heard a tentative, "Maru?" behind him. He turned around to see it was Tip, her head tilted to the side. All of the pack had finished eating, and were watching the two of them. "Thanks… for doing that," she said, ducking her head sheepishly.

"Hn," was his only response. He returned to where he had been lying before and laid back down, closing his eyes with a sigh. Protecting Tip and her meal from Bear felt like home, where he protected Rin from… Well, everything.

Sam came back, grumbling under her breath about stupid Cricket and his inability to keep his eyes on his dog, and walked back into the house, though not without stopping and scratching each of the dogs behind the ears. Sesshoumaru flicked his ears back when she rubbed his, wondering what on Earth made this girl think he enjoyed her attentions. However, he knew better than to snap at her; despite his size, the pack wouldn't hesitate to kill him, not to mention the damage the twin goddesses would do to him. She seemed to pick up on his dislike, though, and spent less time on him than on the others. Walking back into the house, he heard her rustle around right at the door. She came out with a bag over her shoulder. He watched her walk to a strange vehicle of some sort, high off the ground with a large, open pen as the end. There was only one door on each side, and the entire thing was solid black.

She opened the front door and threw her bag inside, closing it with surety. The teenage girl then walked around back, lowering the tailgate of her truck and climbing in the back to test the chain welded to the wall that was actually the exterior of the cab. This dog was bigger than the normal dog she transported, and Sam wanted to be sure the thick chain was still securely attached and heavy enough to hold Maru. Once sure, she climbed back down and walked over to where the dog was stretched out like he owned the place. Rolling her eyes, she went inside and grabbed the blue leash kept there, walking back out with it in hand. Instantly, Tip hunkered down, making her owner chuckle. The almost-grown pup hated the leash with a passion, and dodged at the sight of it. However, Sam clipped it on the white male's collar instead, probably to the other dog's relief.

Cracking one eye open when he heard a clip snap too close for comfort. Sesshoumaru saw Sam kneeling next to him, a blue rope wrapped around her wrist and in her hand. He couldn't see the other end of it, which instantly raised his suspicions. She stood up and tugged on the rope, and he felt an answering tug at his neck.

_She didn't… _The Aristocratic Assassin raised his head and stared at his current charge.

"Come on, Maru. I'm taking you to Alicia's while I'm in school. This afternoon, we'll go see Doc Warner and see if your owner has reported you," Sam encouraged, tugging on the rope again. Once more, Sesshoumaru felt the tug at his neck, this time harder.

_She did._ Growling, Sesshoumaru stood because of her consistent yanking, and allowed her to reluctantly lead him towards the device. They reached a problem when they were at her truck. Sesshoumaru refused to jump up into the truck bed, not trusting the strange device. The teenage girl was forced to call Cricket and another ranch hand over. It took all three of them to lift the squirming and snapping hound into the back of her truck. Before he could jump back out again, Sam clipped the end of the chain attached to her truck to his collar as the two men slammed the gate up. As they locked it, she removed the leash and threw it into the cab with her bag. "See ya later and thanks, Cricket," she said with a smile. The cowhand tipped his hat at her and watched her pull away, down the dirt road.

In the truck bed, Sesshoumaru was growling, yanking at the chain, and occasionally gnawing on it to try and break it. Despite Sam's concerns, it was heavy enough to hold him, much to his anger. That fury only grew when he heard a loud, obnoxious noise coming from behind him, the source blocked from his view by the main part of the vehicle. Underneath his feet, he felt the metal of the pen he was in vibrating from the force of whatever was making that noise. What sort of youkai could possibly be making this happen?

With a loud bang of flesh hitting metal, the former warlord found himself flat on his side when the vehicle he was in moved underneath him. Quickly standing up, he growled as he found that it continued to move forward underneath him. It took him a while to gain his balance and keep it. It was only then he found that the window that opened back towards him rather than to the sides was indeed open. Poking his head through easily enough, he found that Sam was manipulating the insides of this mechanical nightmare to move as it was. Already, they were at the end of the dirt road, and she was sliding to a stop, waiting to turn on to a large, paved road.

Humming under her breath as she turned onto the highway, Sam didn't miss the fact the strange dog had poked his head inside the cab. The window was positioned so he couldn't take a snap at her, and the chain was too short to let him climb inside with her. She knew she was safe, so she didn't worry too 

much; she was just glad he was okay. It had taken her by surprise when he fell over like he did. Her thoughts figured he was used to being in a carrier, inside of the car, rather than in a truck bed. It would have to do, however. There weren't expensive carriers on the Crooked R ranch, and Gramps would have her head if she tried to baby a dog he didn't want her to get attached to.

It was a twenty minute drive from the Crooked R ranch to the town of Wheeler. Sam's friend, a café owner named Alicia Zeal, had set up her restaurant right on Main Street, just a few blocks from the school. Seniors, including Sam, often ate there rather than at the cafeteria. She pulled into her traditional parking space right on Main, turned off the truck, and climbed out of the cab. Sesshoumaru had finally lied down, choosing to nap rather than be annoyed the entire ride over. Now, he felt her clip the leash on his collar again and release the chain. He walked over to the gate, and as soon as she lowered it, jumped down to the solid earth again. This place was full of overwhelming smells, mostly smoke, chemicals, and human. A yank at his neck made him follow Sam as she walked into the nearest building.

Done like an old-fashioned diner, the café known as Blue Moon was classy, tasteful, and fun. It had all sorts of quirks, such as the collection of license plates behind the counter, one from almost every state and some with multiples. Behind the counter was a Latina, her hair dark brown and straight and her skin like toffee, only a few shades darker than Sam's. Her warm, almond shaped brown eyes looked over a strong nose and full lips painted dark red. When she smiled, it was friendly and sparkling. She had dressed simply, in a white three-quarter sleeved shirt that fell off her shoulders attractively, blue jeans, a black apron, and sneakers. "There you are, _Miel_," she said cheerfully. "Is this him?"

"Hi Alicia. Yeah, this is him. And do you have to call me that?" Sam demanded, though her jade-like eyes shone with amusement.

"With skin like yours? _Si_," her friend said with a laugh. "Give me his leash and head off for school. If you are late, your grandfather will have both our heads." The two friends shared another laugh before Sam did as her friend asked and handed over the leash.

She knelt down at Sesshoumaru's level and said soothingly, "I'll see you at lunch, kay? I'll stop by the Doc's on my way back to class after lunch." Patting his head and ignoring his glower with a roll of her eyes, the teenager walked out of the shop, the bell jingling behind her.

**As an added note: I am aware of the fact that in all actuality, Wheeler's school colors are black, white, and gold, not black, white, and red. However, I am manipulating a little to suit my purposes… That, and every other school I've ever known who were the Mustangs usually have red, not gold. I knew they were the Mustangs, so I assumed they were red. It was only after seeing my friend's letterman jacket I knew I was mistaken.**

**Also, miel is Spanish for honey. It's a play on Sam's skin tone. Si is for yes.**


	6. Chapter 6

**FINALLY an update! I know, right? Sorry it's taken so long, this story has decided it didn't like it's original plot, so now I'm trying to cater to the picky plot bunny. …Can you tell how I hate my plot bunnies sometimes?**

**Anywho, this chapter is definitely dedicated to MusicalSoul who left an amazing and obviously heartfelt review for me. It gave me the urge to work on this chapter, and so this is for him/her.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't sue!**

Sesshoumaru was quickly growing annoyed with that bell. Anytime someone entered or left, it rang far too cheerfully for his mood.

Alicia had managed to loop the leash around one of the empty stools, the stupid thing bolted to the floor so he didn't have a prayer of escaping the slow torture. Not long after Sam left, the place had gotten obnoxiously busy. Old and young alike had filled the dinner, and the smell of some greasy way of cooking pork and eggs, plus an odor he couldn't place at all, burned his sensitive nose. The din of all the voices talking over each other made his head ache, and he tried not to focus on any one of them, with relative success.

The only conversation he hadn't been able to ignore was when the diner patron had sat on the stool next to the one he was tied to. A heavy man easily past his prime, he was in some odd outfit of varying shades of brown. What caught Sesshoumaru's interest was the black pocket holding some piece of metal in it. He had caught the scent of black powder before, on his trips to the Continent, and the odd weapon had a similar, if slightly different, twang to it.

"Hey there, Alicia," he greeted Sam's friend as she approached him with a pot of the foul, brown liquid that was the source of the smell that burned his nose.

"Hello to you, sheriff. Coffee?" she returned his greeting with a laugh, not even waiting before overturning the ceramic cup on the counter and pouring some of the drink into it.

"So whose dog, or are you suddenly an animal lover?" the "sheriff" asked, jerking his head in Sesshoumaru's direction. In response, the former tai-youkai glowered at the man out of the corner of his golden eyes before closing them in an obvious show of dismissal.

Her laughter was immediate. "No, but I'm friends with one," Alicia reminded the man, leaning against the counter as the diner began to empty out. "Sam found him out on the ranch, wandering around lost, and though to check with the vet and see if someone's lost him. I'm just babysitting until her lunch break."

The older man chuckled and drank some of his drink before he answered. "That Sam…" he drawled, "She's got a heart too big for her sometimes."

"You are remembering the incident with the coyote pup, aren't you?"

"Damn thing should have been shot, hell it already had been once, yet she nursed it back to health."

"You would have done the same thing if you saw it. It was so sweet, I thought it was just another one of the pack of dogs she keeps till she told me otherwise. You know how some of them look. The new female, the one she's going to breed, Tip? I would hate for her to be lost at night, someone would definitely mistake her for a coyote in the dark."

"New breeder, huh? What about old Dera?"

"You said it yourself," Alicia said, her tone turning sad, "She's old, blind, and Doc Warner doesn't think she'll make it through till next spring. And with Clem being a hard-headed idiot about Sam refusing to stay local for college, she has to have pups to train, even while she's at school."

"Hmph… Heard she was looking at some of those northeastern ranches, but didn't know what for," the sheriff admitted, letting Alicia refill his mug. "Think she's planning on working through the year?"

"She'll have to," Alicia admitted with a sigh.

Sesshoumaru had his ears laid back unintentionally as he absorbed this. Sam was so annoyingly bright and cheerful, you wouldn't know she had problems like this. He wondered if any of this had to deal with why he was here… Snorting, he dismissed it. He was a dog at the moment. How could he possibly help her with a problem involving currency?

"Speaking of Sam, I need to go see Clem, so I'll be off…"

"See Clem?" Alicia looked visibly startled as the sheriff threw down a wad of bills. "What do you mean? You and Clem don't talk unless it is really bad, you haven't since that scandal years ago."

"Yeah, well…"

The sheriff rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed to look around reluctantly. Sesshoumaru raised his head, curious as to what this warrior had to say. "Not a word to Sam," he finally warned, "She'll worry herself sick if she hears so much as a whisper." Alicia eagerly nodded, glancing around herself to be sure the diner was empty before taking a seat at one of the empty stools. The sheriff looked around again himself before sighing and saying softly, "It's that father of hers. He's out on patrol."

"No!" Alicia's gasp of outrage alerted Sesshoumaru that whatever "patrol" was, it was not a good thing. "That man already out of prison?" she hissed, obviously furious.

The sheriff slowly nodded. "Good behavior," he grunted, obviously disgusted as well. "I need to talk to Clem, let him know a patrol of my own will be around the ranch, keeping an eye on things. I can't do much, not legally, but if a car passes by the ranch a little more often than usual, no one can complain."

"No, no I agree…" Alicia said hurriedly, one of her hands running over her face absently. "God… No, Sam can't know this. No. She's… She's normal now. I think if we told her, it would be just like when she came to live with Clem all over again."

The sheriff nodded grimly and reached for the hat he had hung on the hooks specifically placed on the wall for such a use. "I'll be going then. Don't let this trouble you, Alicia. There's going to be my men and that pack of dogs you just mentioned between him and Sam."

_And me…_ Sesshoumaru added blandly. He didn't understand the big deal, but he now at least knew what he was protecting the young girl from at least.

* * * * * * * * *

Humming to herself, Sam walked out of the school, her hat already back on her head. That was one school rule she could do without, she hated not having her hat on, it was an extra level of shielding. However, she stayed obedient and didn't wear it on the grounds.

As was her habit during the hour she had empty for lunch, she meandered down Main Street to Alicia's. She fully intended on grabbing something to eat before she headed over to Doc Warner's. Not five minutes later, the cheerful (though grating) bell rang as she entered. She snickered as she saw the white dog make a face. She had always been able to read animals well, and Maru looked like if he heard that bell one more time he was going to go bonkers.

"_Miel_!" Alicia greeted with a happy squeal.

"Hug me and die," Sam deadpanned, though her smile betrayed her. It was a typical greeting for them.

Alicia laughed and gestured to the counter. The lunch crowd wasn't quite in yet, but already a special was waiting at the place setting where Maru was also tied. Grinning, she climbed up while being careful not to disturb the giant dog and helped herself to was known as Alicia's infamous tamales (infamous because they set your mouth on fire if you weren't careful), Mexican rice, and, just for Sam, a side of honeyed carrots instead of beans.

"You know me too well…" Sam sighed, though she smiled as she opened her silverware.

The owner of the little diner chuckled as she poured ice water into a cup for Sam. "Well, you are a little predictable," she agreed, setting down the glass and leaning on the counter. "So, any news I should know? Tests? Gossip? Dates?"

"Aced the Human Anatomy test, or at least I should unless Mr. Darton does something _really_ screwy," she commented offhandedly as she dug into her lunch, "I don't listen to gossip, as you well know, so how would I know? And dates, are you serious?" She leveled a glare at the older woman over a fork full of rice, "As if there is a boy in this town who would dare."

"Ah, that's right. You can outride any that like horses, and you can outsmart anyone who has even a fifth of your smarts," Alicia recalled, mockingly crossing her arms and tapping her chin with her pen that she used to take orders, normally clipped to her apron.

"Damn straight," Sam quipped unapologetically, "And I dress like a boy, which doesn't help attract any of them superficial dipshits either."

"Ouch…" Alicia laughed, "Don't hold back, _Miel_. Tell us how you really feel about the other sex."

The teenager girl soon joined in the laughter, while Sesshoumaru snorted. _Females…_ he thought with a mental sigh. Though it was a relief to him that he wouldn't be chasing off any would-be suitors…

It didn't seem like much longer before Sam sighed and pushed her plate away as a sign of being full. "I had best take him to Doc's," she said with a slight smile at Alicia. Sesshoumaru raised his head, wondering if this meant he would no longer be stuck to the stool. Sure enough, she managed to unwind the leash and, with a tug, lead him outside of the diner where he had spent the morning.

He trotted alongside her, annoyed when she shortened the leash so he was stuck at her side rather than able to move ahead like he should as the alpha. It shouldn't have surprised him, not with the way the pack back at her home obeyed her. _She knows how to stay in charge of the group_, he admitted reluctantly as she led him till they reached another street, where they turned right and continued until they reached another building. He didn't have a chance to see any sign before a strong and disturbing plethora of scents hit his nose.

Stopping right inside the door, he sneezed, hard, a number of times before his nose finally just shut down and he was able to walk properly again. Surprisingly, Sam waited patiently for him to adjust before walking up to the front counter. As he tried to catalogue the different smells ramming themselves into his brain, she chatted with the woman over the counter. Seated nearby was an older woman, obviously waiting to see this "Doc" as well, at her feet an odd crate that held…

…_a neko_...? Taking another sniff, Sesshoumaru was sure the animal inside that crate was youkai. Before he could approach though, he found that dratted rope tugging on his neck as Sam insistently led him through the only door not blocked off by the counter. Not taking his eyes off the crate till they rounded the corner into a narrow hallway, he focused again on his surroundings as they passed a number of rooms before entering a room that somehow blocked some of the fumes that had been itching his nose.

"Doc will be right here," the older woman explained, "if you can get him on the table and keep him there, you are welcome to."

"Thanks, Cecile," Sam answered, waiting until the nurse left before getting down on Maru's level. Those golden eyes that spooked her a little watched her, and unlike Tip or any other dog she had ever dealt with he didn't immediately stick his nose—or tongue—in her face. Rather, he seemed to be waiting for something. Calling herself all sorts of kinds of idiot mentally, she swallowed and took the shot. "Look, you," she said, trying to be firm, "I think you are a lot smarter than you are trying to act on, for whatever reason. I don't care. But you are too big for me to lift up and the Doc is too old to be doing it either despite his protests. I doubt even together we can get you up on that table. Now, that means either you get lifted up there by several people which is going to be very uncomfortable, or you can jump up there yourself. It's your call."

He watched her—and _damn it all_ if she didn't think he understand everything she said. She kept the leash loose, waiting tensely. Sure enough, with a regal swish of his tale, he turned and jumped neatly on to the examination table, settling himself as comfortably on the flat surface as he could with all his bulk. Breathing a sigh of relief, she reached up and scratched his ears in response briefly. "Thanks," she said, and waited for the Doc Warner.

A thin, toothpick of a man with glasses and a head of white hair, despite his age Doc Warner still stood tall and straight as he walked into the room, adjusting his glasses. Behind the lenses, amused bright blue eyes took in the adolescent who he had seen at every volunteer session his clinic ran and the giant white stray dog she had brought in. Looking the animal over, he fought down the grin that tried to cross his face. "Well, Samantha, is this him?"

"Yes, sir," she responded, though her face pulled into a grimace at her full name, which he purposefully used. "He was wondering the range yesterday and met up with the pack."

Nodding in understanding and glancing at his watch, Doc Warner said firmly, "You are going to be late back at the school if you do not leave now. Stop by after classes and I will let you know what I find out." He saw her waver and gave her a reassuring smile. Finally, she smiled back and left.

Closing the door behind her, Marcus Warner, also known as Watanabe Mamoru, removed his glasses with a sigh and turned around to face the dog demon turned mortal dog on his examination table. "Well, my lord," he stated calmly, "I am sure you are full of questions, are you not?"


End file.
